Friday 3rd & Saturday 4th June: JazzLeeds at the Festival Tent @Cookridge Street stage 11am-6pm Free

We’ll be celebrating the weekend with multiple bands over two days at the Cookridge Street stage. Free to all attendees.

Band timings and details are below:

Friday 3rd June: JazzLeeds at the Festival Tent @Cookridge Street stage 11am-6pm

11:00             Alligator Gumbo

Serving up a hot taste of upbeat party jazz music! An exciting 7-piece band based in Leeds, inspired by the sights and sounds of New Orleans jazz and blues. The band wows audiences far and wide with their good-natured mix of foot-stomping rhythms and toe-tapping tunes.

12:30             Awen Ensemble feat. Amy Clark

 A thrilling cocktail of world folk grooves and gorgeous melodies, mixed with a bit of Leeds magic! Pulling from the softness of Brazilian Bossa nova to the beauty of Arabian fused modal jazz the only way this ensemble could be better is with the addition of the vocal talents of Amy Clark!

Amy Clark – Vocals, Emyr Penry Dance – trumpet/flugel, Saul Duff – tenor saxophone, Samantha Binotti – vibraphone, Ruari Graham – guitar, Joe Wilkes – bass guitar, Eddie Bowes – drums

14:00             Os Caras

Nothing says Bossa nova or instils the urge to Samba quite like Yorkshire so it seems fitting that this 8 piece ensemble pay tribute to one of the great Brazilian legends of the music, Drummer Edison Machado. With a star line up of northern jazz musicians – Stuart MacDonald – alto/baritone sax, Jim Corry – tenor sax, Chris Williamson- trumpet, Stuart Garside and Tom I’anson – trombones, Andrzej Baranek – piano, Josh Cavanagh-Brierley – bass, John Settle – drums

15:30             Olivia Cuttill Quartet

A definite star of the future, trumpet player Olivia Cuttill has an exquisitely melodic sound that  echoes of the great players Chet Baker and Miles Davis. This is a band full of dynamic creativity and plays a wonderful mix of original compositions and classic tunes. With Miles Pillinger on drums, Liam Mason on piano and Fergus Leach on bass.

17:00             Jon Taylor’s Blues Spectrum

Philosophy, poetry, humour, grooves….but most of all….Blues! A great band lead by John “Mr Blues” Taylor. With Jon Taylor sax and vocals, Pete Wade guitar, Ian Rose organ and Paul Smith drums

Saturday 4^th June: JazzLeeds at the Festival Tent @Cookridge Street stage 11am-6pm

11:00             Edison Herbert Quartet

Sensational jazz from a fine band led by the soulful sound of guitarist Edison Herbert. Music will be tracks from Herbert’s latest album “Time for Love” highlighting his talents as a composer and arranger. Featuring Edison Herbert on guitar, Ben Gilbert on Keys and José Canha on bass

12:30             Jeffrey Hewer Quartet

Brought together by guitarist (and Canadian to Yorkshire convert) Jeffrey Hewer, this incisive group of musicians play original material and classic jazz songs arranged specifically for this line up with swinging, bustling energy. Their music includes everything from straight ahead burners to more contemplative meditations. With Sam Jackson on bass, Eliot Richards on saxophone and Chris Bowie on drums

14:00             ORB Trio

Improvisation, openness and interplay will be the watchwords in this collaboration between Wakefield pianist Pete Rosser and Leeds-based multi-reeds virtuoso Richard Ormrod with Halifax bassist Paul Baxter.

With a nod to the ground-breaking Giuffre-Bley-Swallow trio of the early 1960s, there will be Latin American protest songs, South African township jazz, Monk-ish explorations and some catchy originals, all played with humour and intensity. As with all the best jazz, expect the unexpected.

Richard Ormrod – clarinet & sax, Pete Rosser – piano,  Paul Baxter – bass.

15:30             Hyo Jung Trio

Another astonishing musical talent is South Korean guitarist Hyo Jung, a member of Leeds based ensemble The Goddess Collective but here leading her own trio. Expect to hear a set of jazz-rock fusion, influenced by great guitarists such as Mike Stern and Gilad Hekselman. Full of inventiveness, unique sounds and original tunes.

17:00             Dudley Nesbitt and Pan Jumby

Trinidadian Calypso, Brazilian Samba, Bossa Nova, Soul, Caribbean Jazz, Rumba and Cha Cha played by an exciting band led by the incredible sound of ace Steel Pan player, Dudley Nesbitt. Their infectious blend of music will have you smiling and dancing! What better way to end the afternoon?

Dudley Nesbitt on Steel Pan. Richard Ormrod on sax. Sam Hobbs on drums, Barclay McKay on keyboards and Kenny Higgins on bass.             

Friday 3rd & Saturday 4th June: JazzLeeds at the Festival Tent @Cookridge Street stage 11am-6pm Free